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By stevelup
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1553531
Hi

We've bought half a lamb (well, a hogget actually), and are having friends round tomorrow evening.

I know we have some barbecue gurus on here...

I'm thinking of slow cooking one of the joints - most likely the shoulder - in the barbecue. Got a proper Weber kettle barbecue.

Any advice? First hand experience rather than heresay please :)

Cheers,

Steve
#1553541
Personally my favourite is to butterfly bone one of the legs, oil, rosemary and garlic brushed on, then seal it over the coals and maybe singe the edges then slow cook it, no foil, away from the coals with the lid on.

Serves four

Rob P
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By stevelup
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1553544
Cheers! So put coals on just one side for example - use them to sear it initially, then set the meat over the side where there are no coals to complete the cooking?

Any thoughts on the Leg -v- Shoulder argument?
#1553574
I use two dividers and have briquettes either side and cook the lamb in the centre over a water filled foil tray.

Probe it for temperature at 20 minutes closed cooking. If near enough wrap in foil, transfer somewhere warm to rest I use the kitchen oven on barely warm. Rest for 15 - 30 minutes.

Dead easy to slice and portion back in the garden.

Never tried shoulder so can't comment.

Rob P
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By Genghis the Engineer
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1553610
The biggest issue with a basic barbeque like the Weber is that you are on direct heat so need to use tricks like Rob's to avoid direct heat and avoid burning it, or even cooking it too fast before the flavour from the smoke has properly penetrated.

For a big joint especially think hard too about marinades. I'd be looking maybe for something based on some combination of tea, beer and vinegar - maybe even some Worcestershire sauce or dried mint?, to bring the flavour out. Probably also after spiking it and maybe inserting some sprigs of rosemary or slices of garlic. For a big joint, I would aim to marinade it for at least 8 hours. Obviously hang onto the marinade afterwards as a baste.

You absolutely do need a meat thermometer - that is the only way to reliably tell if it is cooked through.

An enjoyable experiment to be contemplating :)

G
#1553615
Purely a personal thing.

I hate ruining the taste of lamb with mint. I know it's traditional and I seem to be the only person in the universe who thinks this, but for me the combination is a certain way to ensure that the poor little thing gave up its life in vain.

Rob P
By johnm
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1553617
Rob P wrote:Purely a personal thing.

I hate ruining the taste of lamb with mint. I know it's traditional and I seem to be the only person in the universe who thinks this, but for me the combination is a certain way to ensure that the poor little thing gave up its life in vain.

Rob P



Sprigs of Rosemary in it while cooking then red currant jelly yum

:D
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By carlmeek
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1553623
Rob P wrote:Purely a personal thing.

I hate ruining the taste of lamb with mint. I know it's traditional and I seem to be the only person in the universe who thinks this, but for me the combination is a certain way to ensure that the poor little thing gave up its life in vain.

Rob P


+1. Mint is for mints, not lambs.
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By AerBabe
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1553638
Anchovy is my absolute favourite. Gives a really rich umami-ness without any of the fishy flavour you might expect.

(But I also like spearing in slivers of garlic and/or rosemary.)
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